Health | December 16th 2016

The Three High-Protein Recipes You Need to Try

This delicious dish can be enjoyed as a snack or a meal, and takes just 10 minutes to make. Tofu and mushrooms are both packed with proteins, but won’t feel heavy or sluggish the same way that high-protein ingredients like most meats will — instead, they sit lightly and comfortably, and give you energy to feel refreshed for the entire day.

Ingredients:

1 package of extra firm tofu

6 to 8 ounces of finely chopped mushrooms (any variety will do)

1 can of drained and finely chopped water chestnuts

2 cloves of minced garlic

2 teaspoons of ginger (the fresher the better)

4 finely chopped green onions

8 large leaves of lettuce (romaine works best)

2 teaspoons vegetable oil for cooking

red pepper flakes

3 tablespoons hoisin sauce

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

Instructions

Start off by preparing the tofu. When you take it out of the container, press it between paper towels to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. This will keep it firm, and help it to cook through more evenly.

Next you’ll want to prepare your sauce. You don’t need exact measurements when making the sauce, but you’ll want to lean more on the soy and hoisin than the sesame. Next, combine the sauces in a small bowl. You can also add hot sauce, as well as red pepper flakes, if you’re in the mood for some extra spice.

After the tofu is dried, it’s ready to cook. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan, and add in your tofu once the oil is hot. After the tofu has been cooking for a few minutes, you can sauté diced mushrooms along with it. When the mushrooms and tofu start to brown, mix in ginger, garlic, water chestnuts, and a few fine slices of green onion. Once all the ingredients are on the stove together for half a minute, drizzle the whole mixture in your sauce until everything is nicely coated and fragrant — that’s when it’s done cooking.

Leave the mixture to cool, then serve into the lettuce leaves. You can drizzle any extra sauce over your lettuce wraps, or just eat as is. This protein-packed dish is best when snacked on immediately, so you can dig in, and then head right out the door!

Salmon fajitas

This is an easy recipe with minimal prep and clean-up. It’s a dialled-down take on the fajita, made to be super snackable and customizable for whatever your tastes are — you can include coconut milk, hot sauce, or even soy sauce from batch to batch.

Start by removing the salmon skin, then cutting a salmon fillet into even strips; the exact size doesn’t matter, so long as you can fit all the strips easily into a skillet. Next, combine olive or vegetable oil in a small bowl, along with lime juice, cumin, chilli powder, garlic powder, and salt and pepper, and mix the seasonings together.

Dip your salmon strips into the bowl so they’re evenly coated, and sauté the strips on high in oil until blackened. Once the salmon is cooked, put it aside and in the same skillet, fry up finely chopped strips of bell pepper, onion, and mushroom until all the veggies are browned.

Next, drizzle everything in lime juice, and plate them on your tortillas. You can even top the fajitas with guac, salsa, or grated cheese!

Yummy yogurt bowl

This is a simple and easy dessert that pairs creaminess with crunch and tartness with sweetness, while packing a big protein punch.

Ingredients

1 cup of coconut yogurt

1/2 cup of unsalted almonds, crushed

1/2 cup of frozen blueberries

optional: zest from one lime, or shaved coconut for garnish

Instructions

With just three ingredients, this is the easiest recipe to make. Simply mix your frozen blueberries in with the coconut yogurt, until the whole mixture is an even, soft purple color. Next, crush up your unsalted almonds and add them into the mix — almonds are high in protein, and add some much-needed crunch to this creamy dish. Garnish with lime zest and shaved coconut for an extra textured sweet treat.